Police seize $1.2 million worth of drugs from Phish fans

From the Newport News, Va., Daily Press

Hampton

By Peter Dujardin |

HAMPTON - Police confiscated $1.2 million worth of illegal drugs and more than $68,000 in cash from concertgoers arrested over three nights of Phish shows.

There were 194 concertgoers and others in the area of Hampton Coliseum charged with various misdemeanor and felony offenses — mostly possessing, using and selling drugs. Some faced multiple counts, for a total of 245 charges in all.

Police were out in force, with 113 Hampton police officers working special overtime shifts at the event, plus another 85 officers helping out from other agencies, said police spokeswoman Allison Quiñones.

Many of the charges pertained to marijuana, cocaine, mushrooms and painkillers.

Police used a combination of undercover and out-in-the-open tactics, those at the scene said. In one case, an undercover police officer offered to sell concert tickets in return for drugs, then arrested the man who tried to buy them.

The cost of paying police officers to work the special shifts — providing traffic management as well as overall security — was borne by Phish and its promoters, said Hampton City Manager Jesse Wallace. Taxpayers did not foot any of the bill, he said.

"It wasn't a free service," said Joe Tsao, the Coliseum's director. "We have police for every event, both in terms of security and traffic and parking. So this is customary, except it's just bigger."

Hampton police had assistance from officers with the Drug Enforcement Agency, Virginia State Police, Newport News and Poquoson police, Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Hampton Sheriff's Office.

The $1.2 million value of the narcotics confiscated was a police estimate of their street value. Police did not provide details of the drugs seized.

Of the 194 people charged with crimes, 46 were issued summonses to appear in court later, while 148 people were physically arrested.

Many of those arrested were out-of-town visitors.

Everyone arrested was first brought to a remote command center — set up at Hampton Chevrolet, where a Hampton magistrate worked all three nights to consider charges and decide on bond. Many of the arrestees were later taken to the Hampton lockup. According to a log at the lockup, there were 83 people brought in on drug-related charges, 20 people charged with being drunk in public and 10 brought in on driving under the influence and other charges.

Some of the people arrested accused local bail bondsmen of gouging them.

With so many out-of-state residents being arrested, bondsmen were asking them to put down the full amount as collateral — money the defendant would get back if they show up for their court dates.

Bondsman Vincent W. Paige Sr. said there was good reason for such a request.

"There's a concern that people will not return from these distances to come to court," Paige said. "If they don't come back, the bondsman will be out the money. ... We're not out here ripping people off."

He added that "if these guys had any scruples at all, they wouldn't be messing with the drugs in the first place." And if someone is complaining about having to put down collateral, he said, "his intentions are not to come back."

Paige bailed out only two people this weekend, dealing with their parents on both occasions.